Light snow in Whatcom a preview of the major storm heading toward the region
Slushy, wet snow fell in areas south of Bellingham early Thursday, Dec. 9 — a prelude to a much larger storm this weekend that will bring blizzard-like conditions to the mountains and strong winds and heavy rain to the Whatcom County lowlands.
Snow fell near Lake Samish, at the south end of Lake Whatcom, and in Sudden Valley, starting around 8 a.m. Monday.
It mostly was sticking to roofs, trees and lawns, but not to main roads, and about a half-inch to an inch had accumulated by 11 a.m.
Traffic slowed to a crawl on Interstate 5 through the Lake Samish area, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
One lane of southbound I-5 was blocked by fallen trees, WSDOT tweeted at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Fallen trees were also blocking Highway 9 in Skagit County south of Acme, WSDOT’s traffic app showed.
Snow was also falling in the mountain community of Glacier, according to social media posts.
About 7 inches of snow had fallen at the Mt. Baker Ski Area since Wednesday, Dec. 8, and light snow was falling Thursday morning, according to its website.
Weekend snowstorm
Preparations were continuing for the ski area’s possible opening date of Wednesday, Dec. 15, after mid-November rainstorms in the mountains melted most of the early season snow.
Far more snow is forecast for the Mount Baker wilderness during a storm that’s expected to hit late Friday, Dec. 10, and continue into Saturday, Dec. 11.
A winter storm watch was in effect for the North Cascades above 3,000 feet, where 18 to 30 inches of snow was possible, along with winds gusting to 40 mph.
Travelers and snow-sports enthusiasts were encouraged to check the forecast and road conditions before hitting the road, and the Northwest Avalanche Center issued an advisory.
“Winter returns as successive storms this week build back snowpack and increase the amount of terrain where avalanches are possible,” the avalanche center said online. “If you see recent avalanches, shooting cracks, or feel collapses, seek out simple terrain less than 35 degrees.”
Snow is in the forecast for the Mount Baker wilderness every day through at least Wednesday, Dec. 15.
Lowland wind, rain
Meanwhile, the Whatcom County lowlands will see 1 to 1.5 inches of rain, along with strong, gusty winds as arctic air mixes with moisture from the tropics.
River flooding was not expected, but pooling could happen on roads and in low-lying areas where the ground is saturated from weeks of rain.
“Strong winds are possible on the coast and Whatcom, Skagit, and Island counties, with sustained winds as high as 40 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph Friday night and Saturday morning,” the National Weather Service said online.
Trees could fall into power lines because of soggy ground.
Daytime highs will be in the upper 40s, with lows in the mid-30s, according to the forecast.
This story was originally published December 9, 2021 at 9:41 AM.
